Automatic signal device.



I Pn AUTOMATIC SIGNAL DEVIUE.

l Arrmnmgn muuuy.. 1e, 1909. Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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i W/ @M5555 F. PORT. AUTOMATIC `SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLIOATIOF FILED 1113.19, 1909. 954,586, Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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` novel featuresof construction and combina- 'ing between t e fixed'located on sion sprin members FRANK POBTO, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application led March 19, 190B. SerialNo. 484,349.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that. l, FRANK Ponro, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Automatic SignalDevices, of Iwhich thefollowing is a specication..

This invention relates to automatic si aling devices as applicable to arailway lock system desi ned to be operative to stop a train or to checkthe movements or otherwise warn' the engineer, whenever a train movesinto an adjacent track section or block within whicha train may beeither running or` stop eil at any given time. llle invention has forits further object to automatically appl the brakes and bring' the trainto a. stan still without any action on the partof the en ineer andprevent the train to ass into a lock occupied by anat the same timenotifying ,the operator in a station or towerof the close proximityofthe train.

The invention further consists of certain thereo tions of parts whichwill be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1, is a side elevation equipped with my invention, there beingparts broken away and parts iii/section; Pig. 2, is a dia-A ram ofarailway system equipped with my invention; Fi 3, is a'dia am of thewircon uctors and those the engine and tender; Fig. 4, is a sideelevation of one of the rolling contact members; Fig. 5, is a diagram oft e device as applied at road crssins, and Fig. 6, is a view similar toFig. 5, ut illustrates the method of wiring a switch or spur track.

In` the drawings Aindicates a locomotive,` the tender of which isindicated by the letter B, hung from Vsaid tender by suitable brackets'1 are a plurality of levers 2, carrying at one end contactl members C inthe formofwheels or rollers, the other end `of said levers being underthe control of a tor- 3 tending at all times to hold the in contact withelectrical conductors D constructed along the line of way asdiagrammatically shown in Flgs. 2 and 3, and as also shown in Fig. 2,thesaid conblocks ductor's are divided into sections or The severallconductors D extendthrough- "contact 13 remains inoperative,

' 24 is a horizon 4" Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

broken by insulators 4. `As hereinbefore stated, thc levers 2 each carrya rollin contact member indicated at 5, 6, 7 and and whenthe locomotiveis travelin in the direction indicated by the arrow but when travelingin the opposite direction the roller 13 contacts with theiconductor 9,the rollerl 5 then 'beinglinoperative The member` 7 and conductors 11being'located in the centcr of the tender and track respectively, areconstant in either direction. Located at some. convenient on thelocomotive or tender as iag'rammat# icall shown in Fig. -3, is asource-"of` electrica energy, in the present instance a batterly 14 1sshown by wa of illustration, one po e of said battery being connectedyto the contact oint either i 5 by a conductor 15, a branchl` leadin tothe contact 13. From the other ,60 1n Fig. 3, a.

side o the battery '14 a conductor 17 leads to one side of a solenoidcoil`g18 Aand from the other side of the coil aconductor 19 leads to thecontact 6, a branch 2O leads from oondnctor 19 to the contact 8, andabranch 21 leads from conductor 17 to the'c'ontact 7. It will thus beseen that the rolli contacts G and 8 are connected to one sie "of thesolenoid 18. To attract the engineers atl tention should two locomotivesoccupy the same block at once, a lamp 22 is cutin yparallel with thesolenoid 18, altho h a lam is shown it is to be understoodtiat a or bothlamp and bell can be used for this purpose.

By reference to Fig. Uit will be observed that the signal 'abovereferred to, as well as thesolenoid coil, are located in the cab of theengine and that the core 23' of said so lenoid is extended belowthe coila short dis'- tance and` at its lower end is 4connected `to 'one arm ofa -bell crank arm of said lever is connected toa stem 25 of a throttlinv lve26, located in the dry pipe 27 of t e ocomotive. Connected to thecore 23 atm4 'nt above the 'bell-'crank ly disposed arm-.28, rigidlyconnected to'eslidab e collar 29, mou e ed una fixed standard or rod30.A A.. air of gr vit actuated to gle levers 31 are* inged at theii'lower end the slide collar 29, and at their upperend toa collarf32 fixedto the rod '30. It will thus be seen that' when the solenoid isenergized and the core is attracted thereinto, the whts 33 on said togle levers will be'eleva and the valve 6 lever 24;V the `"other will beclosed and as soon as thesolenoid is denergized, the weights 33 willcause the core to gravitate downwardly, thus opening the valve 26.

As hereinbefore stated, the continuity of the several conductors 9, 1U,11 and l2 is broken at desired intervals; at these breaks the conductor10 of one block and 9 of the next adjacent block are connected by aconductor 34," and the conductors 9 of the first named block, and 1Q ofthe second, are connected by a conductor 35 for a purpose that willpresently appear. The circuit is as follows :-\Vith two trains inadjacent blocks, and moving in op Jositc directions, a circuit will beestablishe 'from conductor 9 in the left hand block, through roller 5 onthe left hand cub, wire l5, battery 14, wire 17, solenoid 18 and lamp22, through wire 19, roller 6, conductor 10, wire 34v to conductor 9 inthe ynight hand block, and thence by means of roller 13 on the righthand cab, which contacts with coniiluctor 9 in its block, throughbattery -14 and solenoid 18 in said cab, through wire Q0 to roller (3and conductor 12, back to conductor Si in the left hand block throughwire thus complet ing the cab circuits in both cabs, energizing theirsolenoids 1S and lights Q2, and `applying their throttle valves 26,

As it is desired to notify a station at some distant point should itoccur that two trains are in adjacent blocks, a conductor 3G leads fromthe conductor 11 of' one block to one side oi a magnetic coil 87, andaconductor leads from the conductor 9 oi the next adjacent block to theother side of said niagnet: connected in parallel with this n'iagi'iet3i' is its armature 39 carrying a spring contactfdlt'), and insulatedfrom said :n'mature and carried thereby is another spring contact 41,the adjustment o1 this device being such that when the niagnetis'energizcd and the armature attracted, the contacts i0 and 41 willclose the circu t through branch condoctors 42 and i3 through a pair ofline conductors 11- and 4.5, thence through a signal 46 either visibleor audible, or both, located in a station .7, This circuit 1s completedas follmvs:-l+`rom conductor 11 1n the hit hand block, through wiretitl, magnet 57,

wire 3S, conductor 9 in the right hand block,

thence through rollin- 13 on the right hand cab, Wire 1G, wire 15,battery 1l, solenoid 1S, Wire 19, roller 6, conductor 152. Wire 35 toconductor 9 in the lct't hand block, thence in a similar manner throughroller 5, wire 15 and battery 14 in said cab, and from thence throughWircsl?. and Q] and roller 7 back to conductor 11 in the let't handblock, thus completing the circuit through the an mature 37, which inturn completes the circuit through signal 46.

When two trains are occupying adjacent blocks, means are rovidcd fornotifying the engineman of the eparture of the other train by putting alamp or bell 47 in parallel circuit With the magnet 37, so that. Whensaid lamp ceases to glow either engineman may know that that particularblock has been cleared. To announce the, approach of a train to astation a conductor 48 is connected to the conductors 9, and passesthrough a bell 479 located in the station, thence by a conductor 50"tothecondu'ctor 11, so that when a train enters on that block a currentwill be established through the conductors 48 and 9 through the contact5 through the conductor 15, battery 14, conductors 17 and 2l to contact7, thence through conductors 11 and 501.0 the bell. l

Slight changes and alterations might be resorted to in the form andarrangement of the several parts herein described, without departingfrom thetspirit and scope of my invention, hence I do not Wish to limitmyself to the exact construction as herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

In an automatic signalin dcxice, the combination withl a track, an( aVehicle t0 run thereon, a plurality of electrical conductors constructedalo'ng the line of track in parallel relation and insulated in blocks,

a plurality of contact members in excess of the number ofcontluctors susended from said vehicle, one of said con uctors bein arranged centrallyof said track, and sai contact members so arranged with respect to saidconductorsthat certain of said coni tact members will contacttherewithwith the vehicle disposed in one direction and have one idle contactmember on one side, and will reverse said contacts from said oentraicontact member when said vehicle is reversed and have one idle contactmember on thelother side, a source of electric energ'yy on said vehicle,connections' between said 'source of energy and said Contact members,electrically operated signal devices located within said vehicle andincluded in said` connections, and connections between ecrtainconductors of each block and certain conductors of an adjacent whensimilarly equipped vehicles are in ad jacent blocks circuits will beclosed betiveen the two vehicles and the signal devices operated. j

` In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

. FRANK PORTO. Witnesses E. Wanrox BREwINoToN,

Anis'rmn W. GmMrn'rrao.

block Wliereby.

